Unusual Eastern Headcold
by shadowhome
Summary: Marisa goes to return some of the things she's "borrowed" to Alice. It should have been a quick job, but it looks like she'll be stuck there all day, since Alice has developed a cold. My first attempt at writing for the Touhou fandom.


"Yo!" Maria yelled, walking through the gate to Alice's house without caring to make sure it shut, "I brought summa that stuff I borrowed back!"

She paused, briefly, outside Alice's door, awaiting a response. None was forthcoming. She furrowed her brow under the wide brim of her hat and rapped on the door.  
"Hey, Aliiiiiice!"  
Pause.  
"ALIIIIIICE!"  
Pause.

"Well, damnit, guess I'm picking the lock again", she complained, readying her master spark and blowing the door off it's hinges.

She always felt vaguely uncomfortable in Alice's house. It wasn't just the pictures of dolls on the walls. It wasn't just the fact actual dolls lined every available surface. She could even deal with the fact some of them moved, occasionally of their own volition. No, what she couldn't stand was the fact that several of them looked just like tini, chibified versions of herself.

Brr.

She tried calling again a few times, to little effect, and started rummaging through Alice's stuff. Books, mostly ones Marisa had already stolen copies of, and more spare doll equipment. The cooler, however, yielded bountiful returns. Prepared meals for the week were laid evenly on the shelves and all given dates, even today's. It was almost like she hadn't come down at all today. Marisa looked back, and noted how undisturbed the house was. Maybe she hadn't... She wandered back through to the hall and looked up the stairs. More dolls lined the walls, staring accusingly at her.  
"I'm just checking she's okay! Sheesh..." she grumbled, ascending the staircase in a quick jog. The upper floor landing was just as undisturbed, and Marisa gulped slightly at seeing the empty main bedroom. She wandered in, slowly, seeing the sheets cast off the bed and unkempt, and felt a surge of panic.  
"A-Alice..?" she said, her quiet betraying her fear.  
There was a moment of silence.  
Then there wasn't.  
"D-damnit... What are you making such a fuss about..?" came a voice from beside the bed. A familliar voice.

Marisa jumped over the bed and saw Alice's flushed face poking out from between a small mountain of pillows and sheets. Marisa sighed with relief and slumped down, and then got up and jabbed a finger at her accusingly.  
"Hey! You made me worry like hell! Whatcha thinkin' of, hiding next to ya bed?" she yelled.  
Alice winced and dainty dollmaker's hands emerged from her covers to shield her ears.  
"Not so loud, you idiot... I've got a headache..."  
Marisa humphed and crossed her arms.  
"Why're yer lyin' on the floor for?" she finally asked, leaning down over the prone magician.  
"I fell", Alice said, as if saying so explained everything, "and it was just easier to lie here than get up. Now, could you please leave? I told you, I'm not fe-"  
Marisa blinked in confusion as Alice's face twisted up.  
"Fe... fe... ACHOO!"  
Marisa looked down at her friend in shock.  
"Yer... yer got a cold!" Marisa shouted, finally.  
Alice looked back up her with a gaze that communicated derision, disbelief and mockery all at once.  
"You sure yer gonna be okay on yer own?" Marisa said, noticing the slight shiver on Alice's cheeks and the fact she'd been unable to lift herself back into bed for at least an hour.  
"Of course. Just leave, already."  
The door softly invited Marisa to leave, and ignore the responsibility of looking after a sick friend.  
Marisa wasn't a person who gave up easily, though.  
"Like hell! I'm gonna look after you, you numpty" she declared, striding down to the kitchen. Alice groaned audibly behind her.

It wasn't hard finding eggs, although milk took a little longer. The pans were only a tangenital burden. The real difficulty was cooking something that wouldn't make Alice even worse. Marisa was confident that she would make something fit for Alice eventually, though. And Marisa was a determined witch when she wanted to be. Eventually, amidst smoke and burnt egg, Marisa was confident she had an omlette that'd help sate Alice's appetite. She returned with the plate aloft in a free hand, doing her best to imitate a waitresse's pose. Alice merely glowered.  
"You've been gone for an hour"  
"I was makin' omlettes!"  
"For an hour?"  
"It's hard to cook with a master spark"

And with that, Alice was silent.

"So... You gonna eat it?" Marisa asked, nudging the plate along the floor.  
Alice sat up slowly, sneezing as she did so, and considered it.  
"I suppose since you made an effort, the least I could do is try it", she said finally, reaching for the plate.  
"Do I have a fork?" she asked.  
"Ah! Knew I forgot sumthin'!" Marisa cried, running downstairs. Alice sighed, but couldn't stop herself smiling a little.  
Marisa returned, almost as fast as she'd left, clutching a spoon and chopsticks and panting.  
"Here ya go... ha..." she gasped, proferring them to Alice.  
The magician took the chop sticks and started rolling up the omlette to eat it.  
"It looks good, anyway" she said, vaguely aware of trying to fill the void in conversation.  
"Heh, ta, I ain't great with stuff like this, ya know, but I do try" Marisa replied with her normal disarming grin.  
"It shows," Alice said, before realising what she was saying and quickly filling her mouth with egg to avoid further enquiry. Marisa just smiled.  
"S-sometimes when I'm not concentrating things slip out, okay?" she said, after awkwardly stuffing chunk after chunk of omlette in her mouth until she'd eaten the whole thing.  
"How's the grub?"  
"Just beca-" Alice started, before realising what Marisa had asked, "P-pardon?"  
"Any good or was it crud?"  
"W-Well... Not... Crud... it was a little dry, I suppose... I don't know what to say, really."  
"Dry? Want me ta grab some water for ya?" Marisa said, hopping to her feet and dusting herself down.  
"Erm... Well... Yes. I'd like that"  
Marisa smiled and winked. "You got it, bosslady!" she grinned, and jogged back downstairs, leaving Alice alone with dolls, pillows, and her thoughts.


End file.
